Good afternoon President Newbille, Vice President Jordan, and Honorable Members of Council. 

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be here with you today. A couple of weeks ago, we kicked off the budget process together. 

There, we emphasized our shared desire to continue building on and improving the collaborative process we started at the very beginning of our time together back in January 2025.   

Since that time, we’ve been continuously looking at our budget process: what’s working, what we can improve, and how we can make better decisions together for the residents of Richmond.   

I want to thank our City Assessor, Richie McKeithen, CAO Donald, and PFM, as well as the incredible work of our Finance and Budget Teams, for helping lay the groundwork for this conversation.  

Last year, I asked our teams to develop stronger revenue forecasting tools for three key reasons:  

First, we need good information to be able to put our fingers on the financial trends and make the best decisions that we can.    

Second, the budget is fundamentally a partnership between the Administration and Council. That partnership is stronger when we are all working from the same set of facts.  

Third, we’ve got to be able to look beyond a single budget year so that the conversations we are having, and ultimately the decisions we are making, support the city’s long-term financial health.    

Today is a next step: we’re bringing more clarity to the process by sharing our revenue forecasts and laying out some of the significant drivers and decisions that are before us.     

What we’ve heard today is that we are entering a different fiscal environment.    

The tax assessor’s presentation laid out the timeline and impacts of the new assessment calendar, and laid out a revenue projection that was much lower than I, and I imagine many of you, were expecting when we were considering 18 months of presumed growth.  

As a city, we face operational realities such as debt service obligations, personnel and benefit costs, and the need to prioritize our workforce as we continue to compete with surrounding local and state government, as well as the private sector.  

This is all happening against the backdrop of a federal government that is creating volatility for local government funding, and leaving more and more for us to solve on our own.  

As we navigate those realities, I want to be clear about the commitments I am bringing into this budget process: honoring our workforce, pursuing economic development, keeping families safe and thriving, and improving service delivery remain some of my most important priorities.  

Our goal in sharing this information is simple - to help all of us – the administration, Council, and the public, have a clearer picture of our fiscal outlook as we head into budget season.   

My hope is that this shared understanding will help us craft a budget that balances our priorities and needs, while protecting the city’s long-term fiscal health.   

In closing, there are real challenges and real opportunities ahead-- and it means our partnership and our shared understanding of our financial realities are more important than ever.  

I am looking forward to your discussion today, and the questions it raises for you, and to ongoing conversations as we embark on the FY28 budget making process together.   

Thank you for your service. 

Over the last several days my Administration has continued to work with City Council to bring back the solar PPA ordinances. While I still believe in the benefits of this project, late this afternoon I learned of a potential relationship in one of our departments that could put the legitimacy of the solar PPA ordinances in jeopardy. As a result, I am no longer requesting that Council reconsider the solar PPA ordinances, and I am directing the CAO to look into the situation immediately. To the advocates and supporters of the solar PPA ordinances, I am deeply grateful to you for your dedication and commitment to building a sustainable Richmond.

Thriving and inclusive communities

Mayor Avula applauded the passage of RES. 2026-R033, which directs the administration to establish a Trust Policy. A trust policy defines the ways the City of Richmond interacts with the federal government, including clarifying and limiting the ways information is shared between local and federal governments and codifies the City’s existing practice that anyone, regardless of status, is entitled to safety and access to city services.

“I am grateful to Councilmember Nicole Jones’ and many others who have committed to developing the City’s Trust Policy. Many cities around the country have used a Trust Policy to build the level of trust in the way that their government serves immigrant communities. By clearly defining how information is shared and safeguarded, we are reinforcing our commitment to safety and dignity for all of our residents. I look forward to sharing more about the Trust Policy in the coming weeks,” said Mayor Danny Avula.

“This resolution represents meaningful progress in ensuring our immigrant communities feel protected and respected,” said Councilmember Nicole Jones. “The Trust Policy is just the beginning. Mayor Avula and his administration understand that saying we are an inclusive, welcoming city that prioritizes safety isn’t enough. We have to build the infrastructure so that trust can flow freely, nourishing everything we do in the city.”

A thriving and sustainable built environment

Solar ordinances

“I’m disappointed in the outcome of tonight’s actions on the solar ordinances. We had an extraordinary opportunity before us to reduce the City’s long-term energy costs, increase the use of renewable energy, and advance Richmond’s commitment to a more sustainable and resilient built environment through a solar power purchase agreement. We listened to hours of testimony from both experienced subject matter experts and ordinary residents who agreed that our proposal was good for the environment, good for taxpayers, and good for the City of Richmond. It is extremely unfortunate that the majority of Council was not able to find a way to saying yes to this opportunity.

Despite that, it was incredibly inspiring to see so many climate and renewable energy advocates such as the Community Climate Collaborative, Bridging the Gap, the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Southside ReLeaf, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, Climate Changemakers RVA, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and many others come out and support the City’s RVAgreen 250 goals. The future of Richmond is in amazing hands with these advocates like these.

Actions have consequences, and City Council’s action tonight will make it harder to achieve the City's sustainability goals.” — Mayor Danny Avula

Master Plan Amendments

City Council also approved three Mayor Avula-sponsored amendments to Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth Master Plan (“Master Plan”). Together, the amendments bring major citywide planning efforts under Richmond’s Master Plan. They include:

• ORD. 2026-208: The Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan (CHSP), which establishes goals for identifying, recognizing, and safeguarding the City’s cultural and historic assets.
• ORD. 2026-209: The Richmond Connects Strategic Plan, which creates safer, more equitable multi-modal transportation plans for Richmonders
• ORD. 2026-210: Richmond INSPIRE, the master plan for the City’s parks and recreational spaces, which creates a transparent, community-driven vision for parks and recreational spaces in the City

"These amendments matter because they will become a part of how we evaluate whether policies, city projects, or zoning changes align with the master plan. We have abundant historic and cultural resources in Richmond, and the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan will help us identify the cultural resources that we haven't yet documented or recognized for their significance to our community," said Commissioner Burt Pinnock, City of Richmond Planning Commission.

“Richmond has been delivering on its mission to create safer streets for everyone, particularly vulnerable populations. The ability to have a car-lite or car-free lifestyle is a building block of equitable transportation, which is why you’ll continue to see RDOT prioritize access for people walking, using transit, and riding bikes and scooters,” said Andy Boenau, Director, RDOT. “We’re proud to be delivering projects that reflect a thriving city.”

“Richmond INSPIRE gives our community a shared vision for the future of parks, recreation, and public spaces, one shaped by the voices and aspirations of Richmond residents,” said Chris Frelke, Director of Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. “Incorporating INSPIRE into Richmond 300 makes that vision part of how we plan, invest, and build a stronger, more connected Richmond for generations to come."

Thriving Families

Constitutional Amendments

On Council’s passage of RES. 2026-R032, Mayor Avula said, “I am so proud to support this resolution. Richmond is a city for all people, and it is incredibly important that the Constitution of the Commonwealth reflect that. Reproductive freedom, marriage equality, and voting rights for formerly incarcerated Richmonders are essential for dignity and equality.

Richmond voters, like all Virginia residents, will have the opportunity to vote on these three constitutional amendments during the General Election. To learn more, visit https://www.rva.gov/elections/nov-3-election

This weekend, Richmond lost an incredible leader, laborer, and friend. Jim Ukrop’s influence on the greater Richmond community has been profound. At a time when many business leaders found it easier to disengage from the city and its issues, Jim believed deeply in the importance of Richmond, and poured his time, energy, and resources into charting its course for the future.

I spent more than a decade on the Communities In Schools Board with Jim. I got to see firsthand his passion for supporting our school system and investing in our teachers, students, and families. In fact, Jim was one of the very first people to suggest to me that I should consider running for mayor one day—almost 12 years ago! While the idea seemed completely preposterous to me at the time, in this, and so many other things, Jim could often see what others could not. Richmond is a better city for it.

Jim poured himself into countless efforts, always helping open doors for others, and has had a tremendous hand in helping create the growing, vibrant Richmond of today. We celebrate a life well lived, and trust that Jim’s legacy of engagement, generosity, and compassion will inspire the next generation of community leaders in our city.

Hey Richmond, It’s your Mayor, Danny 

As mayor, my primary responsibility is the safety and wellbeing of Richmond Residents. 

As it relates to public safety, there are so many things we have gotten right –  

• community policing 
• neighborhood association partnerships 
• critical incident briefings about officer-involved shootings 
• cracking down on unregulated vape shops through Operation Vaporize 
• double digit reductions in major crimes... 

the list goes on  

Over the last year, the issue of how we use License Plate Reader Technology, and particularly our relationship with a company called Flock has been an increasing issue of public concern, here in Richmond, and across the nation.   

I have been very consistent about saying that our choice to use this technology is because i believe the benefits to public safety outweigh the risks it poses to our community 

But I have also been very consistent about saying that it is not a closed issue, and that I will always remain open to hearing from the people of Richmond on it   

I think the shift in public sentiment around Flock, particularly acute in the last couple of months, requires us to reevaluate our relationship with Flock. 

I don’t know exactly what that looks like right now, but I want to figure that out, together, with Richmonders, with our City Council, and with our partners in the State Legislature.  

I wanted to reassure you all that this is a topic I am thinking about regularly, and share with you a bit about how I'm thinking about this. 

Here are some things I believe:  

I believe that Flock, and automatic license plate reader – or ALPR -  technology in general, is a legitimately useful tool that the Richmond Police Department uses to help keep our communities safe and solve crimes. 

I believe that there are real privacy concerns with both ALPR technology generally and with Flock, Richmond’s current vendor 

I believe, in Richmond, the communities who actually benefit most from this technology are often those who are disproportionately impacted by violent crime. 

I believe that people of color can often be over-policed and over-surveilled. 

I believe that the City of Richmond, and RPD, have been leaders in adopting and following the guardrails set out by the Commonwealth 

I believe that, if we’re going to use this technology, we've got to have the proper guardrails in place, and we must be transparent with the public when those guardrails are violated. 

I believe that at the state level, the Commonwealth of Virginia is an important partner in protecting the privacy of residents. My team and I will continue to advocate for that at the General Assembly this year. 

And I believe this is a complex issue that people feel strongly about across the board. My job is to keep people safe, to listen well to our communities, and to navigate this thoughtfully.  

So here’s what I’m committing to do.  

First, we’re going to review the technology itself and our relationship with Flock. That includes exploring other options and asking whether there are other technology vendors that can provide the public safety benefits we need while better addressing the concerns some Richmonders have raised; we still have another year on the contract so I will need some time on that 

Second, we’re going to listen and learn.  In the coming weeks, I plan to gather resident feedback in a variety of forums. It’s important to me that we hear from a broad cross-section of Richmonders, as well as our elected City Council.  

Third, we will take another look at our oversight and transparency, including whether an independent third party should come in and look at our current policies and procedures.  

Fourth, effective immediately, I am directing that RPD reduce their ALPR data retention policy from its current 21 days down to 7 days. 

What I hear and learn in this listening process will inform our path forward.   

Appreciate you all taking the time to listen to this, more to come soon.